Comments on: The half I forgot http://online.worldmag.com/2009/01/08/the-half-i-forgot/ A forum for discussion of news that arises at the intersection of Christianity and culture. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:04:14 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Ken http://online.worldmag.com/2009/01/08/the-half-i-forgot/comment-page-1/#comment-386275 Ken Fri, 09 Jan 2009 19:31:08 +0000 http://online.worldmag.com/?p=18505#comment-386275 And confessing means more than "fessing up." The "con-" prefix means "with", so, just as professing means speaking for, confessing means speaking in agreement with, in this case God. To confess sin is not merely to own up to something to get God off our backs. It means we see our sin as God sees it, agreeing with His judgment that our behavior and attitudes are truly offensive and ugly. I don't see believing and confessing Jesus as our savior as two separate "halves" but rather as two complementary emphases of one act of the will. Similarly the false dichotomy between accepting Jesus as Savior and accepting Him as Lord. He becomes your savior only when you confess Him as Lord. And confessing means more than “fessing up.” The “con-” prefix means “with”, so, just as professing means speaking for, confessing means speaking in agreement with, in this case God. To confess sin is not merely to own up to something to get God off our backs. It means we see our sin as God sees it, agreeing with His judgment that our behavior and attitudes are truly offensive and ugly.
I don’t see believing and confessing Jesus as our savior as two separate “halves” but rather as two complementary emphases of one act of the will. Similarly the false dichotomy between accepting Jesus as Savior and accepting Him as Lord. He becomes your savior only when you confess Him as Lord.

Report comment to moderator

]]> By: Karen O http://online.worldmag.com/2009/01/08/the-half-i-forgot/comment-page-1/#comment-385910 Karen O Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:02:35 +0000 http://online.worldmag.com/?p=18505#comment-385910 Pauline - I agree. The Amplified Bible indicates that to believe also includes trusting in, clinging to, & relying on. So much more than merely an intellectual assent. Pauline – I agree. The Amplified Bible indicates that to believe also includes trusting in, clinging to, & relying on. So much more than merely an intellectual assent.

Report comment to moderator

]]> By: Pauline http://online.worldmag.com/2009/01/08/the-half-i-forgot/comment-page-1/#comment-385795 Pauline Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:49:04 +0000 http://online.worldmag.com/?p=18505#comment-385795 A lot of our difficulty with the whole "believing" vs "confessing" thing is that our concept of "believing" is not the same as in the New Testament. We think to believe is to give intellectual assent to certain doctrines, which can be done without doing much of anything else. But the New Testament word has to do with putting trust in. If we put trust in Jesus, we will confess him. Not confessing Him is a pretty good sign of not trusting Him. A lot of our difficulty with the whole “believing” vs “confessing” thing is that our concept of “believing” is not the same as in the New Testament. We think to believe is to give intellectual assent to certain doctrines, which can be done without doing much of anything else. But the New Testament word has to do with putting trust in. If we put trust in Jesus, we will confess him. Not confessing Him is a pretty good sign of not trusting Him.

Report comment to moderator

]]> By: DCJ http://online.worldmag.com/2009/01/08/the-half-i-forgot/comment-page-1/#comment-385781 DCJ Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:56:55 +0000 http://online.worldmag.com/?p=18505#comment-385781 Several years ago, I ran across this convicting sentence in a book by Robert Tuttle, Jr.: "Nathan Marsh Pusey, former president of Harvard University, stated that the mark of an educated man is that he can talk about Jesus Christ without adolescent embarrassment." I am still working on my education. Several years ago, I ran across this convicting sentence in a book by Robert Tuttle, Jr.: “Nathan Marsh Pusey, former president of Harvard University, stated that the mark of an educated man is that he can talk about Jesus Christ without adolescent embarrassment.” I am still working on my education.

Report comment to moderator

]]>